The Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania Surplus Lines Association elected Dennis Lewandowski as Vice President and Membership Chair at their annual business meeting on May 9, 2013.  Dennis has served as Governor since 2008 and his current term expires in 2014.

The Pennsylvania Surplus Lines Association (PSLA) is a non-profit organization that serves as an advisory organization under contract with the Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID) for purposes of advising and consulting on matters concerning the surplus lines market place in Pennsylvania. At the same time PSLA provides extensive training and education to both resident and non-resident surplus lines licensees.

PSLA is also a voluntary membership organization for resident and non-resident surplus lines licensees and supporting membership for producers, insurance carriers and other interested parties concerned in obtaining greater knowledge of this marketplace and the role surplus lines plays in the overall property and casualty insurance industry.

This organization plays a vital role in protecting Pennsylvania insurance buyers by being a depository of the collection of required filing documentation which provides an important reference facility for the PID. This greatly assists the Department in their efforts to monitor the activity, compliance and transparency in this most important specialty marketplace.

To read more about the Pennsylvania Surplus Lines Association (PSLA) please visit their website: https://www.pasla.org/

Congratulations Dennis! Wagner Agency Inc. is proud of you and your accomplishments.

MARIETTA, Pennsylvania, April 24, 2013 – Donegal Group Inc. (NASDAQ: DGICA and DGICB) was named to a list of 100 Most Trustworthy Companies for the second consecutive year, ranking the company among firms that have consistently demonstrated transparent and conservative accounting practices and solid corporate governance and management as determined by GMI Ratings, an independent financial analytics company, and reported byForbes.

According to Forbes, GMI Ratings creates its list by examining more than 8,000 companies traded on U.S. exchanges. Every three months it assigns each company an accounting and governance risk score, or AGR, based on proprietary modeling designed to identify practices that historically have had a high correlation with increasing shareholder risk.

“We are pleased to be recognized once again by Forbes and GMI Ratings as a ‘Most Trustworthy Company’ based on their analysis of our accounting and governance practices,” said Donald H. Nikolaus, President and Chief Executive Officer of Donegal Group Inc.

More information regarding the GMI Ratings “America’s Most Trustworthy Companies” analysis can be found at http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/03/18/americas-100-most-trustworthy-companies/. A reprint of the Forbes article is also available as a “Featured Report” in the Investors area of Donegal Group Inc.’s website atwww.donegalgroup.com.

Donegal Group Inc. is an insurance holding company whose insurance subsidiaries offer personal and commercial property and casualty lines of insurance in 22 Mid-Atlantic, Midwestern, New England and Southern states. The insurance subsidiaries of Donegal Group Inc. and Donegal Mutual Insurance Company conduct business together as the Donegal Insurance Group. The Donegal Insurance Group has an A.M. Best rating of A (Excellent).

The Company’s Class A common stock and Class B common stock trade on NASDAQ under the symbols DGICA and DGICB, respectively. As an effective acquirer of small to medium-sized “main street” property and casualty insurers, Donegal Group has grown profitably over the past 25 years. The Company continues to seek opportunities for growth while striving to achieve its longstanding goal of outperforming the property and casualty insurance industry in terms of service, profitability and growth in book value.

Thursday, May 2nd 7pm @ Oakland Career Center: 294 Semple Street

Discussion will include: Creating a “Bike Boulevard” in central Oakland, Beautifying the Louisa Street steps, What are your ideas??

For more information contact David Zweir: dzweir@opdc.org or 412-621-7863 ext.14

The OPDC will host a follow-up meeting on May 30th to present plans.

** Project is supported in part by a grant from The Sprout Fund through the Social Innovation Exchange (SiX) program.

The Oakland Planning and Development Corporation’s mission is to build a better Oakland through job placement services, neighborhood preservation and investment programs, resident volunteer efforts, and youth services

Read this great Pittsburgh Post Gazette Article about the Shadow Lounge and it’s life in East Liberty: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/music/after-12-plus-years-in-east-liberty-the-shadow-lounge-says-farewell-for-now-68108

Although it might not feel like Spring just yet, here are some tips on Spring Cleaning from HouseBeautiful.com.

Spring Cleaning Tips

Congratulations to Chef Trevett Hooper of Legume who was named a semi-finalist for Best Chef in the 2013 James Beard Foundation Awards!!

“The James Beard Foundation has announced the 2013 restaurant and chef semifinalists for the 2013 James Beard Foundation Awards (the “Oscars” of the food world, for those unfamiliar). The semifinalists were selected by a Restaurant and Chef Committee from over 44,000 online entries in 20 categories.”

“On March 18, the finalists will be announced. The finalists are determined by an independent volunteer panel (restaurant critics, food editors, past winners, etc.) of more than 600 judges from across the country. The panel votes on specific award categories to determine the final five nominees in each category. From there, the winners will be announced on May 6 at an awards ceremony held in New York’s Lincoln Center.”

Read more here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/2013/02/19/james-beard-foundation-2013-semifinalists_n_2717814.html

Check or have a mechanic check the following items on your car:

• Antifreeze levels - ensure they are sufficient to avoid freezing.
• Battery and ignition system - should be in top condition and battery terminals should be clean.
• Brakes - check for wear and fluid levels.
• Exhaust system - check for leaks and crimped pipes and repair or replace as necessary. Carbon monoxide is deadly and usually gives no warning.
• Fuel and air filters - replace and keep water out of the system by using additives and maintaining a full tank of gas. A full tank will keep the fuel line from freezing.
• Heater and defroster - ensure they work properly.
• Lights and flashing hazard lights - check for serviceability.
• Oil - check for level and weight. Heavier oils congeal more at low temperatures and do not lubricate as well.
• Thermostat - ensure it works properly.
• Windshield wiper equipment - repair any problems and maintain proper washer fluid level.
• Install good winter tires - Make sure the tires have adequate tread. All-weather radials are usually adequate for most winter conditions. However, some jurisdictions require that to drive on their roads, vehicles must be equipped with chains or snow tires with studs.

Read more about Winter Storm & Extreme Cold Safety from FEMA.GOV

Pomegranate Catering, a locally owned and operated catering company, has joined Housing and Dining Services at Carnegie Mellon University to create a Kosher dining option for students. CMU held the Grand Opening of, “The Pomegranate” on January 17th, 2013. 

“Our new dining location, The Pomegranate, is located in the University Center serving fresh and healthy kosher offerings. The menu created by proprietor Zur Goldblum has choices to reflect cuisines with flavors from the Middle East, Turkey and Israel. Zur, former chef of Sabahbah on Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill, has been a food service professional for over seven years. Offerings provided by The Pomegranate are prepared at the Kosher kitchen located in Beth Shalom Congregation and are under the strict supervision of Rabbi Michael Werbow. In addition to the grilled meats, sandwiches and salads, they will also offer a wide variety of vegetarian and vegan options such as home-made Falafel, Hummus and Babaganoush, all prepared fresh daily. Also offered is the very popular Shwarma Sandwich. Housing and Dining Services is happy to welcome Zur Goldblum and The Pomegranate to our campus community.” – CMU Dining

Read more about about The Pomegranate in this Jewish Chronicle Article: New CMU eatery offers kosher option